Please note: these are government figures on numbers of confirmed cases – some people who report symptoms are not being tested, and are not included in these counts.
These figures come from data published by Public Health England, working with the Department for Health and Social Care and Health Protection Scotland. Some of the numbers are updated daily, though others may be updated more regularly.
About Covid-19
Since first being identified as a new coronavirus strain in patients from the city of Wuhan in Hubei province, China, late last year, Covid-19 has spread around the globe.
The virus can cause pneumonia. Those who have fallen ill are reported to suffer coughs, fever and breathing difficulties. You can find out more about the symptoms here.
Due to the unprecedented and ongoing nature of the coronavirus outbreak, this article is being regularly updated to ensure that it reflects the current situation as best as possible. Any significant corrections made to this or previous versions of the article will continue to be footnoted in line with Guardian editorial policy.
Colourful postmodern street furniture, temporary temples adorned with neon geometric shapes and underpasses designed to evoke happiness have given Londoners a joyous break from the monotony of city landscapes in recent years. Now the trend has been identified as a design movement called New London Fabulous (NLF).
The Virtual Design Festival, organised by architecture and design magazine Dezeen, is the first event of its kind for the creative industries – a way to make sure that the products, artwork and talks cancelled as a result of coronavirus could find an audience. Last week, a VDF talk also birthed NLF.
The name was coined by designer Adam Nathaniel Furman in a VDF talk to describe a group of young creatives whose work is colourful, patterned, joyful and reflects “the cultural melting pot†of London.
Furman says the chance to create fantastical work is particular to London. “Design critics are understandably disapproving of temporary installations – they’re seen as wasteful and are often part of gentrification – but they do also give artists a unique chance to create large-scale works. Designers can express themselves in a way that’s not been done before. The public often loves colourful art and a lot of the people who commission public art in London have responded to that.â€
Camille Walala on her Walala Loung e seat in Mayfair.
Furman’s Gatewayspiece, a set of tiled doorways celebrating the history of Turkish ceramics, was erected in King’s Cross for the London Design Festival in 2017. Other examples of NLF work include Happy Street, an enamelled panel work in a south London underpass by Yinka Ilori. He used colour theory to choose hues for the underpass which promote happiness. Rosebank Arcade by Edward Crooks is an alley into Walthamstow’s pedestrian shopping area that’s been patterned to look like a Victorian arcade. Camille Walala created graphic 80s-style street furniture called Walala Lounge in Mayfair and Morag Myerscough’s multicoloured, geometric-patterned art installation Temple of Agapestood for a summer on the South Bank.
“There is definitely something in the air,†says Marcus Fairs, the editor-in-chief of Dezeen and organiser of the VDF. “A lot of designers have independently started using colour boldly and unironically, out of sheer joy. Colour has been sidelined from serious design discourse for a while, but now it’s going mainstream.â€
The NLF designers are not a clique, but do share interests. Subcultures and multiculturalism are key influences in these rainbow-coloured buildings. “I arrived in London 20 years ago from the south of France,†says Walala. “I missed seeing colours – and I could see so much potential for pockets of pattern and colour here. I think a lot of immigrants bring their experience and different perspective, which makes London more exciting.â€
Furman spent his childhood in Japan, Argentina and Israel before his family settled in London. “Being a queer kid in the 90s was rubbish at school, but amazing in London. I went out to gay clubs in Soho and hung out at Cyberdog in Camden. Colour and aesthetics were an important part of these subcultural groups. They created a magical world that made me who I am.â€
Though NLF has been dismissed as Instagram culture or, as Furman puts it, “millennials regurgitating existing ideasâ€, there is more to it. Both Ilori and Walala say community is important. “I love it when people have access to my work – that makes me really happy,†Ilori says in an interview with the Observer’s Designmagazine. “Architecture and design should be for everyone.†He’s currently working on skate parks and playgrounds in Britain and France.
“It’s important to give back to London and create a space for meeting and interaction,†says Walala. “Joyful public space brings people together.†Her new community-funded project, The Walala Parade, will give Leyton High Road a facelift. Work starts in July.
However, Furman says his work is sometimes a middle finger to the tutors and tastemakers. “If you’re seen as different and receive abuse for that, it can make you think f you, I’m going to really go for what I believe in.â€
He also says for him these creations are a response to the bleak times we live in. “When things are difficult, I think artists recalibrate their work to reflect what’s being taken away. I like Matisse – I mean, everyone likes Matisse – and his cutouts bring tears to your eyes, they’re so joyful. Many were created during [the second world war] when his daughter had been abducted by the Nazis and the world was falling apart outside his window. But he disappeared into a joyous, affirmative place. I do think that spirit is present in the new use of colour, too.â€
The government is expected to decide on Wednesday how they will amend the current Level 3 restrictions, after their initial announcement was postponed by one week. Minister in the Presidency Jackson Mthembu has addressed the issue, but took a moment to blast some of his fellow Cabinet members.
Level 3 latest – another alcohol ban unlikely
Mthembu laughed off claims that the alcohol ban could be reintroduced in South Africa. Police Minister Bheki Cele has been leading the charge against liquor, linking booze to the rising crime rates in the country. But the more senior government official has pulled rank spectacularly, indirectly labelling Cele as ‘ill-disciplined’. Mthembu told the Sunday Times:
“The decision of cabinet stands. [The alcohol ban] is not up for reviewal … we have not discussed the reviewal of those measures. Not at all.â€
“All we have said is let’s have discussions with the experts and see how they look at measures that we have taken so that we are advised. I am a member of the Cabinet. I speak to what Cabinet has agreed … I’m not part of the ill-disciplined crew.â€Â
Jackson Mthembu
Level 3 regulations – what is likely to change this week?
Mthembu has also noted the elements which are up further discussion on Wednesday. Level 3 is expected to last a little longer than the previous stages of lockdown, but in a bid to continue unlocking the economy, the government is looking at possible ways to open up several industries while keeping people safe. There may even be some light relief for smokers, too…
The tobacco ban is up for discussion, according to Mthembu – but reiterated there will be no return for the alcohol ban.
Sit-in options at restaurants are, quite literally, on the table.
The opening of hotels and B&Bs is under consideration for the National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC)
The issue of bringing in ‘tighter rules’ for hot-spots, without knocking them down a level, is on the agenda.
The scientists advising the government will also update officials about how relaxed regulations have impacted health services.
In fact, we could be in a scenario where a verdict is reached before Mthembu and his colleagues meet on Wednesday, taking the decision on cigarettes out of the NCCC’s hands. The hospitality industry, meanwhile, will be hoping that these positive signs end up giving businesses the green-light to ramp up their operations.
An Australian man sentenced to death in China for drug smuggling is a former actor who once appeared on the show Blue Heelers.
Friends of Karm Gilespie have spoken out in his defence and urged the Australian government to do more to prevent his death.
Gilespie was arrested with more than 7.5 kilograms of methamphetamine in his check-in luggage in 2013 while attempting to board an international flight from Baiyun Airport in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou.
Karm Gilespie was arrested with more than 7.5 kilograms of methamphetamine back in 2013. (Facebook)
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has said in a statement it is “deeply saddened to hear of the verdict,” adding that “access to prisoners in China remains difficult given measures implemented to prevent the spread of COVID-19”.
Roger James Hamilton, a Bali-based entrepreneur and futurist, said in a Facebook post that he taught Gilespie seven years ago before he apparently vanished.
“We spent a few years trying to find out how he could disappear so suddenly and so entirely. After that, we resigned ourselves to the idea that he had left because he wanted to start a new life,” he wrote in the post.
“He had been an active member of our community, encouraging others to be the best they could be. He was always there for others, which was why it was so strange that he suddenly disappeared.”
Mr Hamilton claimed his former friend had been set up and was innocent of the drug smuggling conviction made against him.
“Knowing Karm, and knowing the love he had (and has) for his wife and his children, this is not a man that deserves to lose his life.
“This is an Australian citizen who has been kept secretly in jail by a foreign government for seven years before being sentenced to death with no due process.”
Gilespie, who later became a motivational speaker, wrote on a business profile that he had appeared in the TV shows Blue Heelers and The Man.
Friends of Gilespie have called on the Australian Government to intervene. (Facebook)
He also had a lead role in Strzelecki with Strzelecki Theatre at the former Playbox theatre.
Trade Minister Simon Birmingham said this morning that Gilespie’s case was not necessarily linked to the ongoing friction between the countries.
The Guangzhou Intermediate People’s Court announced his sentencing on Saturday. The court also ordered that all of Gilespie’s personal property be confiscated.
“This is very distressing for Mr Gilespie and his loved ones, and our government will continue to provided consular assistance,” Senator Birmingham told Sky News’ Sunday Agenda program.
He said Gilespie still has a 10-day window to appeal the verdict.
He said Australia condemns the death penalty in all circumstances across all countries.
“This is a reminder to all Australians … that Australian laws don’t apply overseas, that other countries have much harsher penalties, particularly in relation to matters such as drug trafficking,” the minister said.
Asked whether he thought this incident was linked to the ongoing political row between China and Australia, the senator said: “We shouldn’t necessarily view it as such.”
Meanwhile, there are also grave concerns for for another Australian citizen currentlyin a Chinese jail – Yang Hengjun.
Hengjun was arrested in January 2019 and charged with espionage. He has had no access to his family or lawyer and his last contact with Australian officials was in December.
By: Sports Desk |
Published: June 14, 2020 1:07:55 pm
Shahid Afridi announced that he has tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday (Source: Reuters File)
Gautam Gambhir and Shahid Afridi have had differences on and off the field for over a decade. The former cricketers’ disagreements have often made headlines on both sides of the border. However, when Afridi revealed that he has been tested positive for Covid-19 in a tweet on Saturday, Gambhir put the rivalry aside and wished for his speedy recovery.
“Nobody should be infected with this virus. I have political differences with Shahid Afridi but I want him to recover as soon as possible. But more than Afridi I want every person infected in my country to get well as soon as possible,†Gautam Gambhir told Sports Tak.
“I have to worry about the people in my country. Pakistan has offered to help India but they need to provide help in their own country first. They have offered to help and I am thankful for that but first, they need to eradicate the cross-border terrorism,†he added.
Many others from the cricket fraternity also wished for the former Pakistan skipper’s recovery:
Really feel so hurt by seeing your news brother…May Allah gives you sifah…Please pray for my brother…He has been found as covid-19 positive..In shaa Allah you will be fine-MR 15 pic.twitter.com/D9UklPdHZR
– @SAfridiOfficial brother your services to our homeland especially in the last few months are forever etched in our hearts. We all know the fighter that you are, sending all the prayers possible, wish you a speedy recovery and good health.
— Shoaib Malik 🇵🇰 (@realshoaibmalik) June 13, 2020
Lala! Don’t worry, Allah aap ko aur tmam bemaron ko sehet de,Aameen https://t.co/pz5xyCrVa1
With all that work you’ve done for the people of our country🇵🇰 during this pandemic I’m sure there’ll be thousands of hands praying for your quick recovery IA.
Afridi is the third Pakistan cricketer to test positive for the novel virus. Former Pakistan opener Taufeeq Umar recovered from the Covid-19 after self-isolation at home whereas first-class cricketer Zafar Sarfraz succumbed to the pandemic and died last month.
Mau police station incharge Subhashchandra Chaurasia said the minor had gone to graze cattle when she was raped by a 20-year-old man of the same village.
A 12-year-old girl who had gone to graze cattle in a village in Uttar Pradesh’s Chitrakoot district was allegedly raped by a youth, police said on Sunday.
Mau police station incharge Subhashchandra Chaurasia said the minor had gone to graze cattle when she was raped by a 20-year-old man of the same village.
The youth threatened to kill the girl if she tells anyone about the incident. After reaching her house, the girl narrated the entire sequence of events, Chaurasia said.
The suspect has fled from the village and efforts are on to arrest him. The girl has been sent for medical examination, police said.
A case has been registered against the suspect person for threatening to kill the girl and the under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act.
At a time when people are already struggling with coronavirus-hit economy which led to the cut down in household expenses, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is all set to levy Rs 200 per month as cess for door-to-door garbage collection.
The BBMP has come up with a plan to implement bye-laws on Solid Waste Management (SWM), which will necessitate house owners to pay money to hand over household garbage to conservancy workers.
“The bye-laws on solid waste management have been notified. The BBMP will collect a service charge from property owners to give segregated garbage to conservancy workers,” Bangalore Mirror quoted BBMP Commissioner BH Anil Kumar as saying.
This charge will be over and above the SWM cess that is already included into your property tax.
Karnataka government in its order dated June 4 said, “Residential waste generators (all categories) have to pay Rs 200 per month towards solid waste management services. Commercial and institutional waste generators have to pay Rs 500 per month if they generate 5kg of waste per day, Rs 1,400 per month if they generate 10kg of waste per day, Rs 3,500 for generating 25kg, Rs 7,000 for 50kg of waste and Rs 14,000 for 100kg per day.â€
Moreover, the civic body will also ask the owners of vacant site to pay 20 paise per month for one square foot which sums to Rs 24 per month if they own a 30×40 site.
Meanwhile, NS Ramakanth of Solid Waste Management Round Table believes that this extra charge on collection of garbage would be a burden on property owners in Bengaluru city. “BBMP must focus on segregation of waste and encourage those who convert waste into compost by waiving garbage cess that is being collected along the property tax. This has been a demand for some time now,” he suggested.
Commenting on the new directive by the state government, Sampath Ramanujan, secretay, Federation of Residents, Communities and Enterprises in Greater Whitefief said that they have been demanding the cancellation of garbage tax, claiming that the “BBMP garbage contractors have not been picking garbage from their apartments.”
Speaking briefing on the new service charge notification, BBMP Special Commissioner D Randeep said that the new bye-laws on SWM would be implemented after a detailed plan in prepared and after discussions are held with the authorities concerned and elected representatives.
“It is a service charge for collecting garbage from your doorstep. The thrust will be on 100 per cent door-to-door segregated waste collection and street sweeping monitored from the solid waste management control room,” Bangalore Mirror quoted Randeep as saying.
An ancient temple that remained submerged in Mahanadi in Odisha has been found, said experts who are leading a documentation project of heritage sites in the river valley.
The 60-feet temple, believed to be around 500 years old, was located recently during an exercise as part of the project, said Anil Dhir, project coordinator of the Indian National Trust for Art & Cultural Heritage (INTACH) in Odisha.
The temple was found in the mid-river near Baideswar in the Padmavati area in Cuttack, he said on Sunday.
The temple dates back to the late 15th or early 16th century, considering the construction style of the Mastaka and the materials used for the construction, Dhir said, adding that INTACH would approach the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to take steps for relocating and restoring the temple.
We will soon write to the ASI requesting it to take steps to relocate the temple to a suitable site. They have the required technology to do it. The state government should also take up the matter with the ASI, he said.
Stating that INTACH has so far located as many as 65 ancient temples in the Mahanadi river during its documentation project, Dhir said many of the temples in the Hirakud reservoir too can be dismantled and reconstructed.
INTACH’s project assistant Deepak Kumar Nayak, who with the help of a local heritage enthusiast Rabindra Rana located the temple, said he was aware of its existence.
The temple was dedicated to Gopinath Dev, he said. The region used to be known as “Satapatana” in the early days. However, with the river changing its course due to catastrophic floodings, the entire village was submerged, Nayak said.
In the mid 19th century, the deities of the vulnerable temple were shifted and installed in a safer and higher place, which is presently the Gopinath Dev temple of Padmavati village, he said.
Dhir said INTACH Odisha had launched its project on the documentation of the heritage of the Mahanadi valley early last year.
A systemic survey of all the tangible and intangible heritage of the entire length of the Mahanadi, from the source to the sea, covering a distance of nearly 1,700 km, is in its final stage of completion, he said.
A multi-volume report of the nearly 800 monuments that have been documented will be released next year, he added.
Amiya Bhusan Tripathy, the state convener of INTACH, said this will be the first of its type study on any river in India and is the pilot project of the trust.
A comprehensive survey of the heritage, on either bank, has been undertaken in the nine districts through which the Mahanadi flows, he said.
Dhir, who had earlier led the Old Jagannath Sadak and the Prachi valley documentation projects, said the richness and diversity of the Mahanadi valley have not been studied properly till date.
He lamented that many of the ancient monuments have been destroyed, or are in a state of advanced decay.
Nearly 50 ancient temples were lost due to the Hirakud dam, he said.
In Ripon, on a once bustling high street not far from the Yorkshire Dales, Tracey Lidster is feeling “a little bit nervous†about reopening her shoe shop on Monday. Solemates Footwear on Queen Street has been shut since 24 March, with all staff placed on furlough. Now, Lidster is hoping hand sanitiser, tills with Perspex screens, social distancing measures and disposable socks will be enough to keep her – and her customers – safe.
“Part of you feels that you’ve just got to get through it and get on with it,†she told the Observer. Only three people will be allowed in at a time. Shoes that customers try on but do not purchase will be removed from the stock that’s available to buy for at least two days. But Lidster is not planning to wear a face mask and won’t expect her customers to do so. “I just think you’ve got to be sensible, keep your distance and sanitise your hands.â€
After nearly three months without any income from the shop and three furloughed staff to support, the future of her business depends on the return of consumer confidence. “I got a grant from the council, which was very helpful. But as soon as we reopen, I will have to pay my bills. Hopefully, the people of Ripon and the villages in the surrounding area will support us and come back.â€
Just down the road, on Moss Arcade, Stephen Craggs is hoping the same thing. His parents started G Craggs electrical store 55 years ago but he has run it with his brother John since the 1990s, employing six staff. Most of them were placed on furlough in March but the two brothers have been working round the clock to keep their business going by taking orders online and over the telephone. Demand for bread makers, freezers and hair trimmers has increased during the lockdown – but overall, sales are down 50%.
“It has been physically and emotionally exhausting,†said Craggs. “I’ve had lots of sleepless nights worrying about the future and the viability of the business.â€
Stephen Craggs outside his electrical shop on Moss Arcade, Ripon. Photograph: Gary Calton/the Observer
He is reopening the shop on Monday to no more than three customers at a time, all of whom will have to ring the doorbell and use hand sanitiser before they can come in. But he is sceptical about whether high street shops reopening will herald a return to normal consumer spending patterns. “Just because the shops are open, it doesn’t mean that things are all rosy. Lots of people are still on furlough, worried about their future and their jobs. We are on the precipice of something awful.â€
The brothers have tried to support their community by donating fridges and freezers to food banks and hospitals, and bought PPE so they could continue to deliver and install essential items such as washing machines and cookers. “People have been appreciative of that. And that’s not going to change, just because we’re allowed to reopen the shop. We’re in this situation for the long haul: at least a year or two.â€
A five-minute walk away, on Westgate, Gill Edwards is feeling both nervous and excited about reopening the Ripon Bookshop this week. For the past three months, she and her daughters have been working almost fulltime, offering free deliveries of books to local customers. Although sales have dropped to 30% of normal levels, she has managed to keep afloat. “A bookshop in the city makes a huge difference to lots of local people – they are delighted to support us, and we are relieved they feel that way.â€
When the shop reopens, browsing books will be allowed, as customers will be asked to sanitise their hands when they enter. “I think it’s quite hard to buy books without picking them up.â€
Gill Edwards outside her Westgate bookstore, with an ‘opening soon’ poster in the window. Photograph: Gary Calton/the Observer
As an independent “bricks and mortar†bookshop, she is amazed by how much business she has been able to generate online during lockdown, for example by hosting book club meetings over Zoom. “We’ve been fighting a battle [with online booksellers], and now we’ve realised we can do it too. We can take our business in different directions – as well as providing a base on the high street for the community, we can offer more.â€
Less than 100 yards away, Caroline Lodge is also planning to open her fabric, paint and furniture shop, Rosie and Clover, this week. Business has been brisk during lockdown, as her customers have had more time for DIY projects. So she is planning to reduce her opening hours and carry on working from home two days a week. “I’m only going to open the shop Wednesday to Saturday, so I can have Monday and Tuesday to paint furniture and keep on top of the demand for it.â€
During opening hours, customers will need to make an appointment to view her fabrics and furniture in person, and will be offered gloves and a face mask to wear. Lodge is planning to wear a face covering and spend up to 15 minutes cleaning the shop between appointments. “It’s going to be relentless – but then again, I don’t know how busy I’m going to be. Initially, it might be really quiet while people work up the nerve to come out.â€
She says she feels apprehensive about the opening. “Until I start the process, I don’t know what I’m going to be faced with.â€
Richard Mudd is looking forward to reopening Appleton’s butchers fully this week, for the first time since lockdown, and getting back to his his normal working hours. Staff will be protected by Perspex screens and only two people will be allowed in at a time, with markings on the floor so they can obey the two-metre rule. He is expecting long queues. “We’ve got a lot of loyal customers that travel for miles, just to get their pork pies from us,†he said. “This shop has been here for over 150 years.†The lockdown has threatened its survival. “We’re hoping that takings will go up and demand will go back to normal.â€
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Shahid Afridi announced that he has tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday (Source: Reuters File)
